I'm only 23 and I remember that as well. Used to have 1$ beers at Pemby, but somebody got alcohol poisoning or something like that and that quickly put an end to that for legal reasons. As if that'll stop people that want to kill themselves drinking

The change was made in 2000.
Drink prices became a minimum $2.25 after a guy disappeared (later found in the river) during a $2 double highball night at Monty's. People think it was the MLCC that used that incident to make the change when in fact it was hotel bar owners that used it as their reason to request the change. 25 cent draft and buck a beer nights were limiting their profits.